Clearing out the notebook [Updated]

Happy Labor Day everyone! I will be celebrating by doing what comes natural: Laboring.

I'll be at Dolphins camp for the first day of practice and prepartion for the regular-season opener vs. Atlanta on Sunday. Today marks the first day the media will be allowed in the Dolphins locker room this season. All previous interviews were done on the field as players came off after practice.

After practice, I'll be doing a three-hour radio show on 790-AM in South Florida from 4-7 p.m. You can listen live or on the Internet by clicking right here. You are welcome to call into the show or text me at 74965.

Now to clearing out the notebook:

The Dolphins might get around to announcing their practice squad and other roster moves they made on Sunday sometime on Monday. Some of those moves were somewhat curious.

The big news of the day is that Miami has lost tight end David Martin for the season. It has been reported Martin was cut. But the NFL.com website has Martin as being placed on Injured Reserve. I trust the website. Just saying. [Update]: The reports are indeed wrong. The Dolphins say Martin is on IR.

Martin was apparently told by team doctors he needed surgery on his right knee, causing him to miss at least eight weeks, and perhaps more, depending on how much damage doctors found during the surgery.

Martin, who has not missed any significant time this preseason and was at practice Saturday, doesn't agree he needs surgery. He will seek a second opinion.

With Martin in the final year of his contract and the Dolphins depending extensively on the double tight end formation, the team could not afford to wait on more doctors' opinions. So it moved on.

The team claimed rookie TE Davon Drew off waivers from the Ravens. The team still has four tight ends on the roster.

But only Anthony Fasano has any extensive NFL experience, as he's in his fourth season. Fasano has caught 62 passes in his career. Joey Haynos, John Nalbone and Drew have a combined two career NFL catches -- with rookies Drew and Nalbone having none and Drew not even knowing the offense.

Moreover, none of the tight ends on the roster have proven they can be the deep down the seam threat that Martin was in 2008. Martin averaged 14.5 yards per catch last season, including a 61-yard touchdown.

The Dolphins tight end corps is now be younger, and cheaper, and signed with the team for a longer period of time. But it is not better. It is weaker than it was Saturday.

[Update] Haynos, by the way, will be the second TE this week when Miami goes with a double TE package, which is like, a lot.

----------

You might have seen my column about Jason Taylor Sunday. You might have also missed it, as many of you take the weekend off from reading, since you're not at work stealing money from your bosses by surfing the net on company time.

Anyway, take a look at the column, especially if you're at work right now. And let me tell you something I couldn't fit in the piece. Taylor, who for years played at 242-244 pounds, told me he's up around 255 now.

He eventually wants to be at around 252ish.

"I think it'll help in the long run once I find that perfect number," Taylor said. "It's good that I can maneuver my body around right now."

That's important. Remember the chief concern with Taylor is not whether he is quick enough to rush the passer. We know he can do that. The concern as he plays the strong side linebacker spot is if he's bulky enough to hold the edge of the defense on run plays.

The extra bulk should help.

----------

Thought you should know that Miami is now among the teams that other teams pluck at for talent. Remember last year when the Dolphins were constantly stirring the bottom of the roster with other team's discards?

Now some of Miami's discards are making other teams.

OL Brandon Frye was claimed off waivers Sunday by Seattle and is on their roster. Ernest Wilford made the Jacksonville 53-man roster.

Of course, not all Miami discards are worth keeping. Eric Green was cut by San Francisco. Joe Cohen was cut by the Raiders. Tearrius George was cut by the Cowboys.

----------

As you might have heard, the evil empire that is the New England Patriots traded Richard Seymour to the Oakland Raiders on Sunday for a 2011 first round pick. And while we don't even know if the NFL will be around in 2011, the national media immediately took to buzzing about what a great deal it is ... for the Patriots.

"Seymour turns 30 later this season," ESPN's Adam Schefter tweeted on his twitter after breaking the story. "New England gets back a first-rounder that could turn out to be a high first. Wow."

Look, I get that a first-round pick for a player that might or might not be on your team next year or even in the league in three years is a ransom for New England to gain. But has anyone stopped to think that while the Patriots might have helped themselves for 2011, they hurt themselves for 2009?

That's right. The Patriots defensive line is better with Richard Seymour than it is without him. Anyone think of that? The Pats are immediately lessened by this trade. Period. And while it might be taking one step back to take two steps forward, that step back is happening now -- as the Patriots are hoping for a Super Bowl run.

Let me put it another way: You think the Dolphins, Bills, and Jets are all sitting around saying, "Wow, the Pats really helped themselves for 2011." Or do you think their reaction is, "Glad we don't have to see Richard Seymour two times this year."

I think the latter.

One more thing: Everyone in the national media is assuming this is a good deal because Seymour wasn't going to be on the Pats next year. He and the team have not come to any kind of like mindedness on a deal so it was a lost cause.

Has anyone heard of franchise tags? Has anyone heard that if 2010 is an uncapped year, teams also get transition tags they can employ and those can bring back multiple draft pick compensation if another teams signs your player? And there is no salary cap, so don't tell me a franchise tag eats cap space.

So even if the Pats and Seymour weren't going to sign a new deal beyond 2009, the Pats pretty much could have kept him tied for at least one more year at age 31. Oh, and about that age thing ... weren't the Patriots rolling out the red carpet, hoping to sign 35-year-old Jason Taylor last spring?

Didn't they sign 37-year-old Joey Galloway?

Give me a break. Belichick is good. But he ain't that good.

Agree or disagree?

----------

[Update] As I reported on my twitter moments ago, Vontae Davis (knee) is at practice today. He missed practice Saturday with the injury he suffered in the final preseason game at New Orleans. So all appears good on that front at the moment.

Follow me on twitter. And check back Monday afternoon for an update on the latest.